Possession
by Dakota-Jones
Summary: A strange attack has left most of Shinra Corporation dead, and now Reno is on the run. Meanwhile, Cloud tries to save his former enemy, and runs from not so tangible things, like his own feelings. Post Advent Children, RenoCloud slash.
1. Chapter 1

**Introduction**

"Reno!"

Reno ducked as another explosion shook the ground around him, and then he heard gunfire and dove to the ground.

_Why are they shooting at me? They're Shinra soldiers too, for Ifrit's sake! _he thought, standing up and knocking away an attacking soldier with his baton. He stumbled over the wreckage of what was once a state-of-the-art training center, one he'd only gotten to use twice before today.

_They'll pay. Whoever did this, they'll pay big time. By the time I'm finished with them, they'll never-_

"Reno! Need you _now_!"

"I'm coming!" Reno yelled back to Rude, wondering why these things always had to happen while he was on his break. He ran toward the sound of Rude's voice, keeping low to avoid being caught in the crossfire. Rude and Rufus were ducked behind a pile of debris that used to be a wall, and Reno scrambled over it and jumped down beside them. Rufus appeared fine, and Rude was beat up, but obviously not bothered by it.

"Anyone know why the HELL our own soldiers are bustin' up the place? And each other?" he asked.

"No time to guess," the President said. "They appear to be targeting Turks and high ranking officers specifically."

"It's chaos out there. I don't even know who's on my side," Reno pointed out, and Rude nodded.

"We have to get the President out of here."

"We'll never make it if we just run," Reno said, "You get the President out. I'll distract them, draw their fire. I'm hard to miss."

Rude looked up at him. "You'll never make it out alive."

"Pssh. Think a few soldiers are gonna take me down? They'll have to do better than that."

"We need to move," Rufus pointed out, and Reno nodded.

"See you after the fight."

Reno crawled back over the pile of rubble, aimed his baton at the nearest soldier, and shot an electric blast at him. Now with sufficient attention on himself, he took off running, bullets crisscrossing the air where he's been standing moments before. He skidded down the embankment, away from the President and toward the thick of the battle.

_They're all attacking anything that moves, _Reno thought, looking out over the battle. _It's like they're all berserked, except cursed to target high ranks._

Suddenly, Reno felt as if he'd been punched in the back, and he went down hard.

_Someone shot me. Someone fuckin' shot me!_

Breathing hard to work through the pain, he stood up and turned around. He didn't have time for a curative spell- a sword was swinging toward him. He sidestepped it, and then swung his baton at the soldier's head.

A split second before the baton made contact, Reno realized that the person who'd tried to kill him was none other than his old training partner.

Didn't matter now. He'd split open the man's skull, and he needed to keep moving.

A blast of magic suddenly sent him flying backwards, and he landed and rolled feet away from one of the few crossbeams still standing. He groaned and tried to push himself up, but moments later, a sword sliced through his shoulder and into the ground, pinning him in place. He cried out, his hands flying up to grasp the blade.

"Understand, Reno. You have to die."

Reno opened his eyes, his gaze meeting that of the green-eyes person standing over him.

This was someone he knew.

Knew, in fact, to be dead.

"Wh-What? You…"

The person smiled. "Don't be afraid."

The sword withdrew, and then sliced at the base of the crossbeam behind him. Green eyes turned away, then…darkness.

_Why?_


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter One**

"There's nothing left."

Tifa was right; Cloud could see that from the first glance. They'd arrived too late.

The building itself was completely demolished. There was only one wall that remained standing, and it didn't look steady. The rest was charred, twisted remains. Small fires still burned here and there, lighting up a landscape that would normally be lit by large, florescent lights.

"We have to look for survivors," Cloud said, trying to put on an air of confidence as he started down the hill. Someone had to have made it, Reno, Rude, Tseng, the President, even. Anyone.

Cloud had been uncertain about them rebuilding Shinra for any reason after the brand new incident with Sephiroth. But Rufus Shinra was insistent, and his Turks were loyal. So construction began on a new headquarters, bigger, better, but more conscious of the planet than the one before it. After eight months of nonstop work, construction had just finished yesterday. Today was the first day for employees to work in the new building. Tomorrow was meant to be the grand opening, the day it opened to the public for tours.

Ashes and charred remains crunched beneath Cloud's feet as he walked. The smell of human bodies burning away was nearly unbearable. He scanned the ground, his fury growing with each body he saw, most of which were burned or beaten beyond recognition.

Those who hadn't been killed with a sword or a gun were destroyed by fire. As often as Cloud disagreed with Shinra, no one deserved this massacre.

"There was strong magic here. Holy magic," Vincent said, and Cloud nodded.

Barrett growled. "Who did this?"

Cloud didn't answer him. He had an idea that he knew, but he didn't want to say it out loud. Not yet.

"Someone must have tried to use holy protective magic. I can feel it too," he said to Vincent.

"Or holy attacks," Vincent said darkly.

"Cloud! Over here!"

Both Cloud and Vincent turned to head to where Tifa was, climbing over a good sized pile of rubble to get there. About fifty feet past that they came upon Tifa, who was kneeling beside two bodies. One of them Cloud immediately recognized as Reno's partner, Rude, and then he rolled over the other one. His stomach dropped into his feet as he realized that it was Rufus Shinra.

Both of them were dead.

"What do we do now?" Tifa asked, looking up to Cloud.

_Where Rude and Rufus are, Reno's never far,_ Cloud thought, looking at his disheartened team. Tifa, Barrett, Vincent, and Yuffie, all here to help, all experiencing the same carnage. He had to give them some kind of hope to go on when everything else looked hopeless.

"Look for Reno. I'll be damned if someone managed to kill him," he said, beginning to scan the area for the familiar red hair. "He has to be around here."

Vincent frowned. "Cloud…"

"Just look."

Cloud knew why Vincent was reluctant; they probably wouldn't like what they found. Whatever, or whoever could kill off an entire army plus the Turks stationed here would've had no trouble with Reno. Knowing Reno, he would've thrown himself right into the middle of it, too. The redhead could be reckless in battle, and never backed down when the Turks were threatened.

Reno would've died to protect his president. He probably did, too.

After a few minutes of looking, Cloud was beginning to lose hope. One of the cooked bodies he was stepping past could be Reno; there was no way of knowing. Reno might've been sent out of town when this happened; unlikely, but possible. Vincent was right to be skeptical.

_What are you so devastated about?_ Cloud thought, stopping for a moment. _If Shinra had ordered it, he would have killed you, no questions asked. It shouldn't surprise you if he dies young._

"Hey! Hey, I found 'im!" Yuffie suddenly yelled across the smoking landscape. Cloud ran to her, fearing the absolute worst.

Reno was dead. He had to be. He was trapped under a fallen crossbeam, a wound from a sword pouring blood from his right shoulder. Cloud stepped past Yuffie, grabbing onto the crossbeam.

"Someone help me lift this," he asked, and at once he had four sets of hands helping him lift the crossbeam and move it off to the side. As soon as the beam was off, he dropped to his knees next to Reno.

There were no signs of life. Blood was all over Reno's clothes and the ground he lay upon, and his white shirt and red hair were splotched with gray ashes. Cloud reached out, pressing his fingers against the Turk's neck.

"I don't believe it," he muttered. Below his fingers a pulse fluttered, faint and weak.

"He's alive?" Tifa asked in disbelief.

"Keep looking for survivors," Cloud said, inspecting the wound on Reno's shoulder. The Turk made a small sound, moving his arm slightly. "I'm going to take him back into town."

Spurred on by the prospect of more survivors, the others began to search again. Cloud cast cure on Reno, though he knew that it wouldn't be nearly enough. Reno needed a healer. He spotted Reno's baton lying on the ground near him, and immediately decided to bring it with him; he couldn't imagine the chaos that would ensue if Reno woke up in a strange place injured _and _unarmed.

Cloud lifted Reno in his arms and began to walk, getting a groan from the unconscious Turk. Reno shifted, and then his eyes opened, though they were unfocused and kept falling shut.

"Cloud…"

"Relax. I've got you," Cloud said softly.

Reno looked confused. "Rude. P-President…"

Cloud's grip tightened. "They…didn't make it."

Reno stared at him as if he were joking. Cloud tried to ignore it, tried to allow Reno to work through that one on his own. By now, though, Reno was already fading again.

"Reno…who did this?"

It was no use. The Turk was already unconscious again, his head leaned against Cloud's shoulder.

Cloud learned mere minutes later, when Tifa called his cell phone, that no other survivors had been found as of yet. Reno was, right now, the only living witness to the massacre, and even his life was uncertain.

Cloud already knew who did it. The holy magic was the only variable in the equation, but everything else fit. Still, he simply refused to believe it until he'd heard it straight from Reno.

* * *

Even a healer could do very little for Reno. The blade he'd been stabbed with had magical qualities that baffled even the most talented healer within a hundred miles.

So, in all honesty, Cloud wasn't expecting to see those blue eyes open again. Nobody seemed to expect anything. They continued the search for answers on the outside and came up empty; even the people who'd tipped them off to the battle had been killed.

Everything was depending on the loud-mouthed red-headed Turk who'd been comatose in Cloud's house for the last four days.

So Cloud held out when everyone else was prepared for yet another funeral. He wanted to know what had happened, and he didn't want to watch Reno die. It seemed impossible to believe that the vibrant redhead could lose his grip on life so soon, when he'd pulled through so much already.

Cloud pressed his hand to Reno's forehead for a moment; his fever still hadn't broken. Four days, and no improvement.

"Is he any better?"

Cloud shook his head. Tifa walked up behind him, placing a hand on his shoulder. "I didn't realize you cared this much about him."

"I care about what happened to all those people. He's the only one that knows."

"Sitting by him for four days straight wouldn't bring the answer any faster. Admit it, you _do_ care."

Cloud paused. "We owe him for his help with Kadaj. And after what happened to his partner, I don't feel like holding old grudges against him," he said, reaching for an excuse now. He didn't _want_ to care.

Tifa looked as if she was about to speak, but the conversation was interrupted by a quite pitiful groan from the bed. Tifa's eyes widened as Reno slowly opened his eyes, blinking groggily in the dim light.

"What the…" he muttered, his words slightly slurred.

"Welcome back," Cloud said, relief washing over him. "We were wondering if you'd ever come to."

"How long…I been out?"

"Four days," Tifa said, sitting down on the edge of the bed. "Reno…what happened?"

Reno was still dazed. "Don't you know already?"

Tifa and Cloud glanced at each other. Cloud was the first to speak.

"You're the only one who knows, Reno."

Reno frowned. "No one else awake yet?"

"…No one else survived."

Reno froze, and then he looked from Cloud, to Tifa, and back to Cloud. "You're lying."

"You were lucky, Reno," Tifa said softly. "Everyone else we found…they were all dead when we got there."

Reno, despite being in obvious pain and exhaustion, tensed like a wire. "Rude. President Shinra. They escaped, didn't they? I mean, Rude took him to safety."

Cloud's and Tifa's expressions were answer enough. Reno's face fell.

"No. They aren't dead," he said stubbornly, trying to sit up. He fell back to the bed with a cry of pain, clutching his shoulder.

"Don't try to move yet," Cloud insisted. "You may have been lucky, but you're still injured."

"What about Elena? And Tseng?" Reno asked, a tone of desperation to his voice. "Did you find them?"

"Reno," Tifa said. "Please believe us when we say that non one survived. We searched for hours."

Reno dropped his head back on the pillow, squeezing his eyes shut and pressing his hand to his forehead. Then, abruptly, he leaned over the side of the bed and threw up.

Tifa reached forward and held his hair back from his face, rubbing gentle circles on his back. Cloud stood up, trying to think of a way to approach this without sounding like a _complete _asshole. They had to know what happened, and they had to know as soon as possible.

"I'll go get you some soup and water. See what you can keep down," Tifa said, standing and leaving the room. Reno was laying back on the bed now, his expression betraying the pain he was in.

"Why couldn't…someone cure me?" he asked difficultly.

"The sword you were stabbed with was cursed," Cloud explained, sitting down on the edge of the bed. "None of the healers we brought in had ever encountered that kind of magic. They did try."

That answer seemed to satisfy Reno. Cloud hesitated, and then he cleared his throat. "Reno…we need to know what happened. Who did all that."

Reno hesitated. "You wouldn't believe me if I told you."

"Was it Sephiroth?"

"No."

Cloud was taken aback. He'd been absolutely certain it was Sephiroth, so certain that he'd considered not even putting Reno through having to say it.

"It wasn't Sephiroth?"

Reno winced and gasped in pain. "Damnit, Cloud, I said it once."

"Then who was it?" Cloud asked, but the question was met with silence. "Reno, you have to tell me. This has to be dealt with."

"I would like to _remain_ alive, thanks."

"I'm not going to kill you."

"Yes you are."

"Just tell me his name, Reno…"

"Her."

"…Her?"

"Cloud…it was Aeris."


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter Two**

When Tifa re-entered the room, Cloud was straddling Reno on the bed and had his sword at the redhead's throat.

"Cloud!" she yelped, but Cloud didn't move. Reno glared up at him, seemingly unafraid.

"You take it back!" Cloud shouted, pressing down harder. Reno gasped, his hands coming up to try and push the blade away.

"You promised you wouldn't kill me, man-"

"This isn't fuckin' funny, Reno! Take it back!"

"Cloud, get off him!" Tifa snapped, setting aside the tray she'd brought in.

"No, let him!" Reno snapped bitterly. "Only living witness and all, even if I'm lying, I'm still the only one who knows, right?"

"You little _bastard_-"

A blast of wind magic suddenly knocked Cloud off Reno, and Tifa rushed to the bedside, taking a look at Reno's neck. A thin line of blood was there now, but not deep enough to be a worry.

"What the hell do you think you were doing?" Tifa asked, stepping around the bed to where Cloud lay on the floor. "He just woke up and you try to _kill_ him?"

"He's a lying bastard," Cloud growled, pushing himself to his feet. Tifa stepped forward, putting herself between Cloud and Reno.

"I didn't lie," Reno said, his voice weak but insistent. "I told the truth for once, and _look what happened_."

"What are you two talking about?" Tifa asked, crossing her arms and looking between the two men.

"He says _Aeris_ destroyed that building."

Tifa's eyes widened, and she looked at Reno. "That can't be true."

"It would explain the holy magic," a new voice said, and Tifa turned to see Vincent standing in the doorway.

"Don't tell me you actually believe him," Cloud said angrily. "Aeris wouldn't do that!"

"I _am_ still here, you know," Reno muttered, rubbing his neck gently. Vincent stepped over to the bed, and Reno looked up at him warily.

"May I see the wound?" Vincent asked.

Reno scowled. "As long as you keep _him_ away from me," he said, glaring at Cloud. Vincent pulled the sheet aside, examining Reno's shoulder.

"It's not healing well."

Reno snorted. "No shit."

"And you say Aeris did this?"

Reno glanced at Cloud, who stiffened.

"Swear on my life."

"That's not much of a guarantee," Cloud muttered, and Reno bristled, trying to push himself up.

"Was that a threat, _Spiky_? Cause wounded or not, I can kick your-"

"Enough," Vincent said, sitting down beside the bed. "Cloud, keep your mouth shut. Reno…tell us what happened. Every moment. Every word."

So Reno told them. Though he was groggy and weak, he described how the soldiers seemed to go crazy, how the Turks were targeted, even what Aeris said to him when she tried to kill him. Cloud's fury grew with each word, but with Vincent there, he didn't act on his anger. Tifa was leaning against the wall by the end, her hand covering her mouth. Vincent showed no surprise, no anger; he simply listened.

Reno was exhausted by the end of explaining what happened, that much was apparent. He passed out again only moments after finishing.

"The Life Stream has been infected," Vincent said, standing up.

"Or he could be lying," Cloud said.

"Who would dare slander Aeris's name in your presence, Cloud? I'm surprised he said it at all, even if it is true," Vincent said. "In any case, I believe him. Everything I suspected was confirmed in what he told us."

Tifa frowned. "You suspected this?"

Vincent paused, staring out the window. "The bloodshed we saw could only have been caused by an army. And yet, no one saw an army enter or leave. And all the dead were Shinra employees," he explained. "As soon as I felt the holy magic, I suspected that the Life Stream had been tampered with. Every soldier there weak enough to be controlled by its call was drawn into a massacre. Aeris used the Life Stream to tamper with their very souls."

"Aeris wouldn't do that," Cloud said stubbornly, and Vincent turned around.

"Cloud, if the Life Stream has been sabotaged, it is likely Aeris is being controlled against her will. You seem to be under the impression that the dead are untouchable."

Cloud didn't have an answer for that one.

"What can we do to find out for sure what's causing this?" Tifa asked.

"We wait," Vincent said. "If there was one attempt on Reno's life, and it was unsuccessful, there will be another."

"Could the Life Stream turn us against him?"

"I doubt it. It appears that the person behind this does not have that strength."

"Will they? Eventually?" Cloud asked.

"Most likely, with time."

* * *

Cloud awoke from his makeshift bed on the floor when he heard a thunk. He knew that sound; it was the trapdoor in the hallway, the one that led to the roof.

_They've come for Reno._

He bolted upright, his sword already in his hand. That was when he realized that his bed was empty- Reno was gone. They'd already taken him.

Cursing himself for not hearing them come in, Cloud burst into the hallway and pulled open the trapdoor and ladder. He climbed up onto the roof, but what he found there wasn't what he expected.

A single figure stood on the edge of the roof- Reno. Cloud's breath caught; the edge of the roof wasn't built to support the weight of a person. One wrong move, one step further and it would give out. Reno's red hair fluttered in the gentle breeze as he stared downward. He didn't look aware of what was going on; his eyes were vacant, and his body relaxed.

"Reno!"

Reno blinked, looking over his shoulder. The edge crumbled a little bit beneath his feet at the shift of weight. His eyes were now desperate, pleading, fully aware.

"Cloud…help me."

_He's being controlled_, Cloud thought. _He'd never ask me for help unless he absolutely had to. Usually not even then._

"Alright. Just don't move. I'll come to you," Cloud said, edging closer to Reno, trying to get within reach of him. Reno looked truly frightened for once- he knew that with one wrong move, he'd likely be dead. Those fancy acrobatics of his didn't work half as well when he didn't have the strength to land on his feet.

_Almost there…_

All of a sudden there was a flash of light, and Reno cried out in agony, grasping his shoulder and stumbling back. Cloud leapt forward, but his hand closed on empty air as the edge crumbled and Reno fell. Cloud didn't hesitate- he jumped off the roof after the Turk.

_Two floors. Not enough time!_

Cloud streamlined his fall, caught up to the Turk, and barely managed to grab onto him before his own feet hit the ground. He looked at Reno only to find him unconscious again.

_I should've known. He's weakened, no match for the Life Stream. They didn't need to send assassins if they could make Reno do it himself._

"What happened?" Tifa asked, rushing outside in her pajamas. "I heard someone fall. Is he alright?"

"He tried to kill himself," Cloud said, standing up with Reno in his arms. "Didn't want to, though."

"The Life Stream."

"Yeah."

"I'll find Vincent. He needs to know about this," Tifa said, going back inside. Cloud followed, carrying Reno back up to his room. He laid the redhead back on the bed, pulled the sheet over him, and then pulled up a chair and sat down beside the bed.

_Hasn't he been through enough? _He silently asked the person behind all this. _You've put him through hell, taken away his friends, now this…why do you feel threatened by a loud-mouthed Turk?_

Cloud looked down at Reno, and then he sighed.

_I wonder what it feels like to be the only one left._

_

* * *

_

When Reno woke up, there were four people gathered around his bed.

"D'I miss the memo about a party?" he asked, reaching up and rubbing his forehead. His head felt like it had been trampled by a fat Chocobo.

Tifa elbowed Cloud, and the blonde cleared his throat and shifted his weight uncomfortably. "Reno…I'm sorry I didn't believe you," he said, and Reno quirked an eyebrow.

"Why the change of heart? Aeris try to shove a sword through you?"

Cloud's fists tightened, but Vincent grabbed his shoulder, keeping him from losing his cool.

"There was an attempt on your life," Vincent explained.

"And I slept through it?"

"Naw, Cloud said you were sleepwalkin'!" Yuffie said, as if that were the coolest thing in the world.

"You were being controlled by the Life Stream. Just like Aeris," Tifa pointed out. "You fell from the roof."

"Then who…"

Cloud looked up. "I heard you leave. _Despite_ the fact that you're a complete asshole, I decided to catch you."

"Aw, how sweet. Didn't realize you cared."

"…Though I'm beginning to regret that decision."

"That's enough," Vincent said. "We need to discuss the plan."

"I have the materia!" Yuffie said, pulling a brown bag off her belt. "Just like I said I would, Vinny! And you thought I couldn't do it."

"What's the materia for?" Reno asked, difficultly pushing himself up to a sitting position.

"I had Yuffie steal it from an ancient temple," Vincent said vaguely. "It's summon materia for a very strong holy creature."

"What do we need that for?"

"Only a strong holy force can combat the powers of the Life Stream. Maybe disrupt the control the enemy has over it," Cloud said.

"How are we going to summon a creature _in_ the Life Stream?"

Vincent paused. "There are two stages to this plan. The first…draw Aeris out of the Life Stream and summon the creature to attack her. It seems Aeris is the base of this plot, the grip being used on the Life Stream. Disrupt her spirit, and it may well put an end to all of this."

Reno nodded, trying to wrap his mind around all this. "And the second stage?"

"If all goes well, we won't have to use the second stage," Tifa said quietly. No one else seemed eager to explain 'plan B'.

"Okay, I'm injured, not stupid. Stop avoiding it and tell me."

"The second plan is to kill a member of our team so they can summon the creature directly into the Life Stream," Vincent said, never one to sugarcoat things. "With any luck, a holy creature would destroy any unholy influence in the Life Stream."

"And if that doesn't work?"

"Then we regroup and come up with something else," Cloud said quietly.

_If only Rude were here,_ Reno thought, his chest tightening. _He'd follow my lead and toss a few bombs in that damn stream. Flashy bombs._

"So…how're we gonna get Aeris out of the Life Stream again?" Yuffie asked, swinging the bag of materia around. At once, Cloud, Tifa, and Vincent all turned to look at Reno. Reno's eyes widened.

"Me? What am I supposed to do?"

"You won't have to do much of anything. She wants you dead as it is," Cloud pointed out.

"You're throwin' me out as _bait_?"

"Basically…yeah."

"I will be close enough to step in at any moment," Vincent said. "Cloud will be summoning the creature, and Tifa, Yuffie, and Barrett will be standing by in case the plan fails."

"And what if the summon goes after one of us instead?"

"Run."

"Oh, well, that's _so_ comforting."

"Would you stop being so damn antagonistic?" Tifa asked angrily. "Reno, we're trying to _help_."

"Well, if you really wanted to help, you're a little late."

Complete silence. Moments later, Yuffie shoved the materia into Vincent's hands and stormed out. Vincent followed soon after.

"Real classy, Reno," Cloud snapped, following suit and leaving the room. Reno dropped his gaze to the bed, avoiding Tifa's hurt glare, and then he heard her footsteps leaving and the door slamming shut.

_I don't need their help anyway. I don't need anyone's help._

_

* * *

_

There really was no quiet way to start Cloud's motorcycle, as Reno found out.

The machine roared to life and he peeled out of the alleyway, checking over his shoulder to see if Cloud of Tifa had heard him leave. The house was dark.

_All the better. I'm not up for a chase_, he thought, heading for downtown. He was glad Tseng had allowed him to use the company motorcycles on occasion; without that experience, riding this monster would be suicide. He just had to keep reminding himself not to push random buttons just to see what they did.

He pulled up in front of a quite nice apartment building, one he'd only been in a few times before. Nevertheless, he knew where to go. He shivered in the cool night air as he stepped off the motorcycle and headed up the stairs.

The doorman let him pass without a fuss; he'd learned the hard way that questioning a Turk for any reason was not a good idea. Reno took the elevator up instead of the stairs, not eager to wear himself out so soon.

_4th floor. Apartment C,_ he thought to himself as the elevator doors opened. He went to the right and down the hallway, his shoulder already aching.

He slowed down as he neared the door. He didn't want to do this, but he had to know for sure. He couldn't just blindly believe everything he'd been told, right?

He knocked lightly. "Rude, you there?"

Silence.

He knocked again, louder this time. "Rude, c'mon, partner. Answer the door."

Nothing.

Reno reached up, pulling a hair pin out from where it was hidden in his hair. Kneeling down, he straightened out the pin, then picked the lock with practiced ease and opened the door.

It was dark inside. He fumbled around for the light switch, and wasn't surprised when the light revealed a pristine, perfectly clean apartment.

"Rude?" he called out, letting the door fall shut behind him. He half expected his partner to storm out of the bedroom, scolding Reno fro not calling first and for breaking in; it wouldn't be the first time, after all. Hey, shit happens, you get drunk, and your partner's nearby apartment seems like the safest place to sleep it off.

But the place was silent as a morgue, the bed made, nothing out of place. A thin layer of dust had formed on all the shelves.

It was true. He was gone. Dead.

Reno spotted a file on the kitchen table, one that had both his and Rude's ID numbers on it. He slowly sat down, pulling the file across the table to him; it couldn't hurt to look. It wasn't as if anything could be done with the file now.

He opened it up and pulled out the cover letter, and his eyes widened. It was a request to the transportation department, asking that he and Rude be assigned motorcycles, the new models that had just finished company testing.

Reno had been gushing about those motorcycles for weeks after seeing them on the test track.

Rude had been about to surprise him by getting them two of the first employee issued models.

Reno's throat was dry, and his hands began to shake. This was all real. Too real. Rude was gone.

He stood up, stumbling back from the table into the kitchen counter, his fists clenched and his eyes squeezed shut. He couldn't take this.

"_Damnit_, Rude! Why the _hell_ did you have to die!" he screamed, his voice hoarse. "I told you to fuckin' get him out, not get killed! _Why_?"

All these reminders of his partner, alive and happy…he had to get out. He fled the apartment, got back on Cloud's motorcycle and took off again, not even certain of where he was going. He fought back tears, his throat burning, his eyes stinging, and his hands keeping a death grip on the handlebars.

_Rude. Tseng. Elena. Rufus. All gone. I'm the only one left. It's not fair!_

Minutes later, he found himself back at the once-grand Shinra headquarters. The land here seemed to personify the indecision of the people at what was to be done with it now- none of the wreckage had been cleared, just the bodies.

He skidded the motorcycle to a stop just at the edge of it. For a moment he just stared, trying to believe that it was only a hallucination. A dream. A nightmare.

It didn't go away. He didn't wake up.

He got off the motorcycle and walked into the charred rubble. There was, quite literally, nothing left. Only burned ashes and a foul scent lingering in the air.

He headed straight for the training center, his whole body aching and tired from the effort. He wouldn't give up, though, not till he'd seen it with his own eyes.

Over the collapsed wall, a bit past that…here.

Magic had carved a gulley in the wreckage, that much was evident. It had been a damn strong burst of magic, too. Nobody would have survived that.

It was right on the path Rude and Rufus would've taken to escape the battle.

"I figured you'd come back here."

Reno spun around to find that Cloud was standing behind him. He shrugged, and then winced.

"Had to see it for myself, you know?"

"I know."

Reno sat down on a desk turned on its side, trying to imagine what it must have been like. Wondering if Rude had called for his help. He probably never had the chance.

"Rude wouldn't want you to-"

"How the _hell_ would you know what he wanted?" Reno interrupted.

"…I don't."

Reno was surprised that Cloud didn't fire an angry reply right back at him, like he usually would. The pair fell into silence, and after a minute, Cloud walked over to Reno and sat down beside him.

"You forgot this," he said, holding out Reno's weapon. "You shouldn't wander around without it right now."

Reno eyed it suspiciously before taking it from Cloud. "What do you care?"

"I owe you."

"What?"

Cloud sighed. "I never properly repaid you for your help on the highway. With Yazoo and Loz."

"I was just doing my job."

"Still. Thank you."

Silence, once again. Not an uncomfortable silence, though. And eventually, Cloud stood back up and brushed the dust off his shirt.

"You coming?" he asked Reno.

"Who said I was coming back at all?"

Cloud paused, thinking for a moment. Then, he turned back to face Reno. "I'd like to make you a deal, Turk. Offer a compromise."

Reno raised an eyebrow. "I'm listening."

"We need your help, and I know you want revenge against who did this. We work together, without fighting, just until this is over. We both get what we need."

Reno looked at the spot where Rufus and Rude had been. He _did_ want revenge. And yes, he did need Cloud's help, whether he liked to admit it or not.

"No fighting? Until it's over?"

"None."

Reno hesitated, and then smirked. "I think I can manage that…if you can."

"That sounded like challenge."

"You bet your ass it was, Spiky."

"…Don't call me that."

"Okay, sweetheart."

Cloud rolled his eyes and stuck out his hand. "Is it a deal?"

Reno wondered what new curse words Rude would invent if he saw this; a deal between Cloud and a Turk that wasn't forced or blackmailed into being. He shook Cloud's hand.

"Deal."


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter Three**

Cloud, Reno, Vincent, Tifa, Yuffie, and Barrett spent the evening planning, discussing the ideal turn of events, and the plan if anything went wrong. They certainly didn't expect someone to knock on the door just as the sun was setting. On high alert, every person in the room had a weapon in hand within moments.

Cloud moved to the door, signaling for everyone else to be quiet as he opened it up, sword in hand. Three soldiers stood on the doorstep, their uniforms quite similar to Shinra uniforms. They were unarmed.

"We're looking for President Sinclaire," the man in front said, and Cloud frowned.

"Whoever he is, he's not here," he said, and he started to close the door. The soldier reached out and caught it before it slammed shut.

"Wait…you probably know him as Reno."

Cloud's grip tightened on his sword. He heard murmuring, but he didn't turn to look at the others. "Who are you?" he asked the soldier, eyeing the man's name tag. It read 'General Kocher'.

"We're Shinra emergency forces. We've been looking for him since the battle," Kocher said, and ignoring all caution Reno pushed Cloud aside, his weapon still in his hand.

"Shinra has emergency forces that weren't at headquarters?" he asked, but he didn't get an answer- the three soldiers were busy _saluting_ him.

"President Sinclaire, you can't imagine my relief-"

"Why are you calling me _President_?"

Kocher seemed confused. "President Shinra didn't tell you, sir?"

"Tell me _what_?"

"You were fourth in line to take over the company. The three above you died in the battle," Kocher explained. "You're now officially titled President Sinclaire of the Shinra corporation."

A beat of silence. Then, Yuffie and Barrett both burst out laughing. Reno sent them a deadly glare before turning back to the soldiers.

"I'm not president of anything. I just blow shit up, okay?"

"But, sir…you're the only one left to inherit the company. If you don't take the position, Shinra will fall."

Reno turned away from the door and cursed loudly, tapping his weapon on his shoulder with annoyance. Cloud watched him pace for a few moments, and then turned to Kocher.

"How many people do you have?"

"Not many. About 32," Kocher said. "President Shinra didn't think we would be needed. We kind of fell by the wayside, that's why it took us so long to mobilize."

Reno practically growled, and then he pointed his rod in the man's face. "I don't believe you."

"Feel free to shoot me, sir. As acting President, that's your prerogative."

"No, damnit! You're supposed to be scared shitless!"

"…Was that an order, sir?"

Yuffie and Barrett simply couldn't stop laughing now, and Tifa was fighting back laughter. Even Cloud and Vincent seemed amused by the situation.

"Alright," Reno said, stopping his angry muttering and lowering his weapon. "I order you to stand by until I need you. We have everything handled right now."

The three men saluted. "Yes, sir!"

Reno slammed the door shut in their faces and breathed a sigh of relief, leaning back against the door.

"You ready to keep plannin', _President Sinclaire_?" Barrett asked, still snickering.

"Shut it," Reno snapped. "Let's just get this done."

_Sinclaire. Reno Sinclaire, _Cloud thought, watching the moody redhead sit back down at the table. _It works for him._

_

* * *

_

"Reno?"

Reno looked up from where he sat on the steps to Seventh Heaven, surprised to see Cloud in the doorway.

"It's almost one in the morning, you know," Cloud said, and Reno shrugged.

"Couldn't sleep."

A sigh. "Yeah, me neither."

Cloud dropped down on the steps next to Reno, and for quite a while after that, neither talked. It was strange, with Reno usually being a chatterbox, but things were too much for him right now. He didn't even know where to start.

"…Are those soldiers standing guard?" Cloud asked, squinting in the darkness at a figure by the corner.

"Yeah. I asked 'em not to, but they insisted," Reno muttered, aiming his rod at one of them and pretending to fire. "They're lucky I didn't just blast 'em all through a brick wall."

"If I didn't know any better, I'd say you didn't want to inherit the corporation."

Reno looked at Cloud and raised an eyebrow. "Did I hear that correctly? Did Cloud Strife just make a joke? The world _must_ be ending."

"I'm not depressed _all_ the time."

Reno cleared his throat.

"Okay, I'm depressed most of the time."

Reno laughed, and the pair fell into a few moments of silence. Cloud wrapped his arms around his knees, and then he let out an almost-laugh. "This is quite a leap from…well, fighting like cats and dogs."

"Hey, orders are orders."

"Would you have, though?"

Reno frowned, looking at Cloud. "Would I have what?"

"Just out of curiosity," Cloud continued with a shrug. "Would you have killed me? If you had the chance?"

"I'm a Turk, Cloud. You should know the answer to that one."

Cloud sighed. "Yeah, I guess."

"I would've given you a damn cool death, though. For putting up a good fight."

"I'll, uh…take that as a compliment."

Reno chuckled. "You haven't changed a bit. Still the idealistic depressed kid."

"And you're still a loud-mouthed Turk."

None of the insults were serious, just friendly banter between the two. It was an odd but welcome change, when they were used to trading blows.

_Could it have been like this all along, under different circumstances? _Cloud thought, stealing a glance at the redhead. _Could we have been fighting side by side, poking fun at each other and cracking stupid jokes? _

"Last thing I told him was that _I _would be fine," Reno said, finally breaking the long silence. "Never thought…"

"At least you didn't lie to him," Cloud said softly. "You kept your word. You're safe."

"Doesn't really matter now though, does it?" Reno asked, looking over at Cloud. Mako blue eyes met his, and he felt a rush go through him.

"I have the feeling it does, Reno."

"There you go with that idealism again."

"It's not such a bad thing. You should try it sometime."

Cloud leaned back, and as he placed his hand on the ground it brushed against Reno's. Both of them jumped in surprise, Reno clearing his throat and Cloud leaning forward again, feeling heat rise to his cheeks.

"Sorry."

"It's okay."

Cue uncomfortable silence.

"I'm gonna go try to get some sleep," Reno said, pushing himself to his feet. Cloud nodded.

"Sleep well."

Reno chuckled again, heading inside and greeting Tifa as he passed her. Tifa smiled at him, and then walked outside and plopped down next to Cloud on the steps, a mischievous smile on her face.

"You like him."

Cloud's eyes widened. "What?"

Tifa was grinning now. "You do! You like him!"

"As a _friend_, maybe…"

"Friends don't get all flustered and embarrassed when their _hands_ touch."

Cloud winced. "You saw that?"

"I couldn't sleep, came down here, saw you go out there…I figured I'd better keep an eye on you boys in case you decided to fight again," Tifa explained with a shrug. "Seeing you blush was just a bonus."

"I don't like him _that_ way."

"Of all people, I never expected it to be _Reno_…"

"Are you listening to me?"

"But I guess it does make some sense. Opposites attract, right?"

"Tifa…"

"I wonder if he feels the same? You should ask him!"

"**_NO!_**"

"Ha! You _do_ like him! That's adorable, Cloud!"

Cloud muttered something undecipherable, and then stood up. "I'm going to go sleep."

"Sweet dreams," Tifa said with a wink.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter Four**

Reno stepped into the chapel, his footsteps echoing off the stone walls. Light from the setting sun shimmered and reflected off the pool of water in water in the middle of the room, and it was so quiet that it was eerie. It certainly felt like a sacred place.

"Alright, it's your game now," he said to the empty air, tapping his rod on his shoulder. Only the dripping of water answered him. He walked further in, up to the edge of the pool.

"You wanted to kill me? Go ahead. I'm here."

Nothing. He began to wonder if this was really going to work; maybe they couldn't dupe her into showing up after all.

"You're an idiot," a familiar voice said, and Reno spun around.

It was Rude.

"Rude! You're alive?"

"Working with these people…you're a sorry excuse for a Turk. Always have been," Rude continued, ignoring his question. Reno froze, his grip loosening on his rod.

"What?"

"You heard me," Rude growled, beginning to circle Reno. "Without me and the other Turks, you're just a bumbling, clumsy idiot. Look at you, _living_ with Strife and his whore, even working with them."

_It's not real_, Reno thought. _The Life Stream, it's controlling him, he'd never say this shit to me…_

"What's the matter? Can't handle hearing the truth?" Rude asked. "Rufus put you where you are because you're easy to manipulate. Not because you're smart, or strong. _You're not_."

Reno's fists clenched and his throat tightened. "I won't attack you. You can stop trying to bait me."

"You're a coward."

"No," Reno said, shaking his head. "None of it's true."

Rude smirked. "You'd like to believe that."

Reno turned away from Rude, though ignoring his partner was bringing him close to losing it. "Aeris! I'm not gonna fall for this! Get out here!"

"Aeris is dead, Reno."

"Not dead enough."

"You're crazy," Rude said with a snort. "Working with Cloud, yelling at dead people…you've really lost it."

"Yeah, well, you always said it would happen eventually."

"And all it took was being alone. You really are pitiful."

* * *

Cloud watched on in horror as Reno tried to fend off Rude's verbal attacks. This hadn't been a part of their plan at all, but no one had moved yet. There was still a chance it could work. Cloud wanted to help, wanted to go out there and get Reno focused again, but if Rude saw him it might well be game over. He was surprised Reno had handled it this well so far; he must have realized that the Life Stream was controlling his former partner.

Cloud could tell Reno was fast losing patience. He was uncertain whether or not to step in, still weighing the options.

"Cloud?"

Cloud heard the familiar voice, and slowly, he turned around. Standing behind him was Aeris.

"Cloud, I need your help," she said, and Cloud glanced between her and Rude.

"But…you…"

"It's Rufus. He's controlling the Life Stream. He had himself killed so he could get into a stronger position, operate from within the Life Stream," Aeris said. "I managed to free myself of his control."

"Why does Rufus want to control the Life Stream?"

"Why else? Power. Power that he's already exhibiting," Aeris said, and then her expression turned pleading. "If you give me the summon materia, I can destroy him."

Cloud paused. "I don't know…"

A scream stopped Cloud mid-sentence. A fight had begun between Rude and Reno, though on Reno's part it was mostly blocking. Rude definitely had the upper hand, because Reno wasn't exactly putting his all into fighting back.

"Rude will kill Reno if we don't shake Rufus's control soon," Aeris pleaded. "Please, Cloud…trust me."

_If she's telling the truth…no one has to die._

A sudden cry of pain cut through the air as Rude landed a kick on Reno.

There was still a part of him that was uncertain, but all it took was that pained cry from Reno and he knew he had to. It all made sense, anyway, and Aeris wasn't trying to kill him. She was sincere. Had to be. He extended his hand to her, and she took the materia.

"Fool," she snarled, and Cloud's eyes widened before he was launched backwards, through the pillar he'd been hiding behind. He heard Reno yell his name, and then he saw a flash of light as Aeris activated the summon materia- summoning the creature to attack _them_.

She'd played him. Taken advantage of his trust in her.

The doors opened and Vincent swept inside the chapel, followed soon after by the rest of the backup, all of whom had been watching from the windows, ready to step in. Cloud scrambled to his feet, though the ground beneath him had begun to tremble.

_What have I done?_

Hooves. He heard hooves pounding the ground, and barely leapt out of the way in time as a massive white horse came galloping through. It reared up, kicking its hooves at Vincent, who narrowly avoided having his skull crushed by the flailing hooves.

Cloud looked around for Reno only to see the redhead run right past him, take a running leap off what used to be a pillar, and land on the horse's back.

"Reno!"

Reno grabbed a handful of mane in one hand, causing the horse to stumble backward just before it reached Yuffie. It tossed its head, trying to dislodge Reno, but he had a firm grip. With his free hand, he jammed his rod right up against the back of the horse's head and released a bolt of electricity through the creature.

The horse _screamed_. A burst of magic sent Reno flying across the room into a wall, and he dropped. He looked dazed, but he didn't look harmed.

"Cloud! Snap out of it!" Barrett yelled, and Cloud turned, lifting his sword- the horse was headed right for him. He swung at the horse, only to be knocked away before his sword even made contact. He felt hands pulling him to his feet, and he looked up to see Reno standing over him.

"Packs a punch, don't he?" Reno said with a smirk.

"New plan," Vincent said to Cloud and Reno. "We take down the summon, and get back that materia."

"I can take care of the materia if you distract that thing," Reno said, and before Cloud could object, Vincent nodded.

"Do it. Cloud, you're with me."

Cloud shot one more worried look at Reno before joining Vincent and the others in fighting off the white horse that had been summoned.

* * *

Reno was ready to confront Aeris. More than ready.

He spotted her by the pool of water, the materia in her hand, watching the horse as it fought. He walked up to her, weapon in hand, and she smiled at him.

_She fucking **smiled**._

Reno let out a growl of rage and leapt forward, swinging his rod to hit her in the head- and it froze about a foot from her head. Reno tried to move it or let go of it, but his hand was frozen in place.

The rod suddenly lifted, and Reno's feet came up off the floor. He kicked and fought, struggling to break loose, but it was no use.

"Poor little Reno. Last of his kind," Aeris said softly. "I wonder how it feels…"

"Put me down!"

"I must confess, I didn't expect you to live," she continued, ignoring him as he cursed and kicked at her. She lowered him a bit, smiling sweetly. "But your president and your partner were easy enough to dispose of."

Reno saw red. He lashed out with his right hand and punched her in the face; she had made the mistake of lowering him to within reach. She stumbled and he fell to the ground, her grip on him broken. He was surprised that he _could_ punch her, given that she was dead.

With that knowledge, he felt a surge of courage rush through him. He swung his rod, hitting her in the ankles and knocking her to the ground.

"Bitch," he spat, getting to his feet.

The materia had been knocked from her hand and rolled to the edge of the water, where Reno picked it up and put it in his jacket pocket.

Aeris stumbled to her feet, and when Reno prepared to swing at her, he heard the horse scream. The creature fell and then faded, and Aeris was momentarily distracted as her summon disappeared.

Reno took the materia from his pocket, looked at it, and knew at once what he had to do.

* * *

It took all of Cloud's strength and endurance to bring down the horse, and that was _with_ the extra help; Vincent was right when he said it was a strong holy creature.

When it went down, he immediately looked around for Reno- but then a blast of magic knocked him, Tifa, and Vincent off their feet. It was Aeris- with her summon gone, she was on the attack.

"Cloud!"

Cloud heard Reno's voice. He knew the others could handle Aeris for now; he headed in the direction of Reno's voice. He found him standing by the water, materia in hand.

"You can't beat her. You saw what she did at headquarters," Reno said, putting the materia in his pocket. "Plan B, Cloud. You need to kill me."

Cloud's heart dropped into his feet. "No."

"We planned this all along, Cloud! First plan failed, time to try somethin' else. _Kill me_."

"I…I can't."

"What do you mean, you can't? You have to!"

Cloud fell silent. He knew it was the plan, but he couldn't do it. The idea of killing Reno made him nauseated, even though he knew it was completely justified, if not necessary.

"Fine. If you won't do it the easy way, I'll force you," Reno said, and then he lunged forward, swinging his rod at Cloud's head. Cloud barely managed to block it, backing away from the Turk.

"You never had trouble tryin' to kill me before," Reno pointed out, swinging his rod at Cloud again. "What's different, huh?"

"You're my _friend_ now, you idiot!" Cloud said, blocking the next hit, determined not to attack. Anyone else could do this, die for the cause. Not Reno.

"It doesn't matter! All your other friends are going to get slaughtered if you don't kill me!"

"I won't do it, Reno!"

Reno knocked Cloud over backward when their weapons clashed again, and the blonde stumbled and landed on his back in the shallow end of the pool of water. Reno lifted his rod, the firing end pointed directly at Cloud's face.

"Kill me or I'll blind you, Strife."

"No."

"Why the hell not? For Ifrit's sake, Cloud, it's the only way!"

"Because…I think I'm in love with you, Reno."

Two things happened in the moments that followed. Reno lowered his weapon, a look of utter disbelief on his face- and then Tifa was thrown into him from behind. Reno stumbled forward and fell, and Cloud's sword ran right through his chest as he fell onto the blonde.

Cloud's mind blanked and time seemed to stop as Reno's eyes met his, the redhead wide-eyed, struggling for air.

"Reno…no…"

Reno tried to say something, but couldn't quite manage it. His eyes fell shut, and he went limp on top of Cloud.

"**_No!_**"

Cloud sat up, pulling his sword out of the Turk. The water around them was bright red with blood as Cloud gathered Reno in his arms, both of them soaked with holy water and blood. Reno's skin was even more pale than usual, making the tattoos on his face stand out with startling contrast.

"Reno…Reno, please, don't do this…you can't…"

No response. Cloud's grip tightened on Reno's body, rage and overwhelming anguish taking him over. A choked sob escaped his throat, his body shaking, no longer aware of the battle going on just across the room. It didn't matter now. Reno was dead.

Plan B wasn't worth the cost. It never could be.

* * *

Vincent glanced over, and saw Cloud holding Reno's dead body in the water. Cloud's sword was coated with blood. He didn't know how it happened, but he could only hope that when it did, Reno had the materia in his possession.

_It's all up to you now, kid. You better not have died in vain. We're counting on you,_ he thought. They couldn't hold up to Aeris's onslaught for much longer.

Never in his life would he have thought his survival would depend on that loud-mouthed Turk.


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter Five**

When Reno woke up, he was groggy and lightheaded, and immediately assaulted by a bright white light tinged with red. He blinked a few times, pushing himself up to a sitting position.

_Cloud's sword…I fell, and…I'm dead._

He didn't know which shocked him more; the fact that he was dead, or the fact that Cloud had admitted that he was in love with him.

"Knew you'd end up here sooner rather than later."

Reno looked up, not surprised to see Rude standing over him. Though it wasn't really Rude, not with the Life Stream controlling him.

"What can I say? I have a death wish," Reno replied.

"It doesn't end here," Rude said. "I could destroy your soul, if I so choose. Leave you in black nothingness for all eternity."

"That wouldn't be very nice of you."

Rude growled, grabbed Reno by the throat, and then lifted him into the air. Almost immediately Reno felt the change- it was like dying all over again. Like his soul was being forced out of him. Rude hadn't been kidding.

Reno's hands scrambled for his pocket, praying that the materia would still be there. If Vincent was wrong and the materia hadn't gone with him to the Life Stream, then they were all screwed.

He breathed a sigh of relief as his hand closed over the materia. But as he took it out, he had the overwhelming urge to drop it. Ignore it. Do nothing. He was having a hard time even remembering what it was for.

_The Life Stream. It's trying to control you._

Gasping, twitching, and fighting off the urge to give in, Reno activated the summon. It took the last of his strength to do so. He went limp in Rude's grip, darkness beginning to set in. He barely heard the sound of hooves, and suddenly the horse ran _through_ Rude, who dropped Reno and stumbled back.

Reno gasped, his hand flying to his throat as he coughed and dragged air into his aching lungs.

_I shouldn't even have to breathe. I'm dead._

"It's about time!"

All it took were those words and one look up at Rude, and Reno knew he had his partner back. The summon had freed him of the infection.

"Had to take a couple detours," he said to Rude, his voice hoarse. Rude reached down, helping his partner to his feet. The horse was making its way through the Life Stream, the red infection disappearing in its wake.

"Isn't quite the same without your stupid jokes and constant rambling," Rude said.

"Miss you like hell too, man."

"Well, isn't this touching," a new voice said, and Reno and Rude turned. Rufus was standing not far away, watching the exchange with a smirk.

"Hey, Rufus! I can call you Rufus now, right, with you bein' dead and all…"

Reno trailed off when he suddenly realized that Rude was glaring at Rufus, as if he hated the man with a passion.

"Um…did I miss something?"

Rufus chuckled. "Clueless, as usual."

"He's the one behind all of this," Rude growled. "He planned it all. Even his own death."

Reno's jaw dropped, but Rufus only laughed.

"And it worked so well, didn't it?" he asked with a cocky, calm tone to his voice.

"You killed all those people? You controlled Aeris?" Reno asked, fury beginning to take over.

"And you fell for it at every turn," Rufus said. "I have enough power that your petty little summon can't even hurt me."

Reno practically growled. He'd been betrayed by someone whom he trusted- someone who'd now killed or tried to kill everyone he cared about. He suddenly wished he'd brought his rod with him along with the materia. "I don't need a summon to kick your ass," he said, getting ready for a fight.

_Just like old times, _he thought as Rude stepped forward to back him up. _Let's have one last hurrah. One last time, one last fight._

"If it's a fight you want, I'll not disappoint," Rufus said, red energy gathering around his body.

And so, the fight began.

Both Rude and Reno knew from the start that they were going to lose. Rufus was using the Life Stream against them, they had no materia, and Reno was still weak from Rude's attack.

Nevertheless, they put their all into it. It was the way Turks did things; once a Turk had decided on doing something, you'd be hard pressed to change their mind. And most of the time, what they decided to do was improbable, if not impossible.

Only minutes after the fight began, Rufus was standing over the pair, who were lying on the ground helpless after getting quite a barrage of negative Life Stream energy. Reno tried to get up only to fall again, and Rufus raised his hand to create the finishing blow.

_Cloud…I'm sorry…_

Suddenly Reno heard the sound of hooves again, and Rufus turned away, smirking as the horse approached. He didn't see Aeris on the horse's back till it was too late.

The combined power of Aeris and the summon wasn't what Rufus had been counting on. His eyes widened, and then the horse collided with him.

As quick as that, there was burst of blue-green light, and Rufus was gone. Not only that, but Reno felt revitalized, unbeatable, better than he'd ever felt.

"Aeris…how did you…" Rude started, and Aeris dismounted the horse with a smile, after which the creature disappeared.

"He pulled control from me to use the energy to fight you," Aeris explained softly. "I thought you might need some help."

"Thanks," Reno said, getting to his feet and helping Rude up. "Cloud and the others, are they…"

"Everyone is fine. They're all so strong," Aeris said. "But Cloud isn't well. He won't leave your side, Reno."

"So what he said…"

Aeris nodded. "It was true."

Rude cleared his throat. "You know, Reno…I still don't see this as acceptable."

"What?"

"You barging into my place uninvited. And you always cause trouble when you do it, too."

"But I-"

"Not only that, but this time you left a certain blonde all lonely to come here and bug me."

"I didn't-"

"Aeris, may I do the honors?"

Reno's eyebrow rose. "The honors of _what_?"

Aeris smiled and nodded. "Go ahead."

Rude smirked, and then picked Reno up by the collar of his shirt. "Throwing you out, like always. See you when it's your time, partner."

Before Reno could say another word, Rude turned and literally threw him...and everything went from white to black.

* * *

Vincent knew they were fighting a losing battle. With the Life Stream's power behind her, Aeris was simply unstoppable.

_Come on, Reno_, he thought a bit desperately, glancing over to where Cloud was still cradling the redhead's body in the water. Momentarily distracted, he wondered if Cloud would ever recover from this; at the moment he seemed utterly and completely crushed. He showed no sign of hearing them even when they called out his name.

"Vincent, look out!"

A blow knocked him back, straight through a pillar. By the time he started to push himself up, Aeris was standing over him, gathering energy to kill him.

Then, suddenly, she stopped. The energy dropped, her eyes widened, and in moments she was gone.

"What happened?" Barrett yelled, looking around, ready to fire wherever she happened to reappear.

"He did it. I can't believe he did it," Vincent said, looking to where Cloud held Reno.

There was a long moment of silence as everyone realized _exactly_ what had happened.

Reno, a Turk, had given his life to save theirs.

Cloud looked up as Vincent stood and approached the pair.

"I didn't mean to kill him. I didn't want to," Cloud said softly.

"It's not your fault, Cloud. He just wanted to help us," Tifa said, kneeling in the water beside him. "He did it to save you."

Yuffie and Barrett exchanged confused looks, obviously oblivious to Cloud's feelings for the Turk. Vincent had figured it out long before even Cloud and Tifa realized it.

"I'd…I'd just told him, and…" Cloud started, but then he stopped and looked down at Reno with a frown. The Turk was _glowing, _a shimmering blue mako color. And as the glow got brighter, the wound in his chest began to simply fade away.

_Impossible,_ Vincent thought, able to _feel_ the Life Stream all around them, working its magic.

And then, Reno took a breath and opened his eyes.

Almost everyone present cried out in joy and disbelief as Reno blinked a few times, getting his eyes to focus- eyes that were now brighter, even more vibrant with mako energy.

"Reno?" Cloud asked softly, his eyes wide.

Reno half-laughed. "D-Damn, that was one helluva trip," he said, his voice weak. He tried to sit up, but only ended up falling back into Cloud's arms. "Rude says hi, by the way," he added, his eyes starting to fall closed again, though this time it was from exhaustion, not blood loss.

"We…we have to get him to a healer," Cloud said, standing up with Reno in his arms. Vincent shook his head.

"He's been to the best healer he could go to. What he needs now is rest."

* * *

Three nights later, Cloud found Reno out of bed, sitting on the roof of the house. In the far-off distance, fireworks marked some obscure holiday that hardly anyone celebrated.

"I can see you're feeling better," Cloud said, sitting down beside the redhead.

"Three days of sleeping and homemade soup will do that," Reno commented with a smirk, the fireworks lighting up his face. "You could make a fortune selling that stuff, you know."

Cloud chuckled. "I know," he said, and then he looked at Reno curiously. "What happened to Kocher? Yesterday he just…left."

"I signed the company over to him," Reno said with a shrug. "I'm a Turk. I'm not the political type. Me and that president thing, we didn't get along."

"I figured you'd do something like that," Cloud said. "But…what are you going to do now?"

Reno shrugged again, looking down at the ground below them. "I don't know. Try to find another job?"

"That'll be rough, the way things are right now."

"It's the only thing I _can_ do, really," Reno said, a sudden wind blowing his bangs into his eyes.

"You know… I did hire a couple of delivery boys not long ago. For smaller, less important packages," Cloud said. "But both myself and these employees have been having trouble with muggers."

"…I'm not bein' a delivery boy for you."

"That's not what I'm offering. I want to offer you a job being our muscle. Assisting with deliveries and kicking ass on anyone who tries to interfere. This would include breaking up bar fights downstairs…or at least, disposing of those who start them."

Reno tilted his head at Cloud, obviously weighing the options. "What are we talking about, pay-wise?"

"Not nearly enough. But I have the feeling that the free room, board, and unlimited drinks at the bar should sweeten the deal. As long as you're sober while on duty."

Reno grinned. "You had me at unlimited drinks."

"Why do you think I threw that in?"

"You know me too well."

For a few minutes, they turned their attention back to the fireworks. The display was becoming grander with each moment, building toward the grand finale.

"Did you mean it? What you said before I…" Reno finally asked, and Cloud blushed.

"Yeah. I did."

"Well then, what the hell are you waiting on?"

"Wha-"

Cloud was stopped mid-word by Reno's lips pressing against his. He reached up, tentatively tangling one hand in the flaming red hair, and deepened the kiss.

Neither noticed when the fireworks display reached the grand finale.

Neither did they notice when Tifa stuck her head up through the trapdoor to take pictures with her cell phone camera.

**- - - THE END - - -**


End file.
